October 2006

[Bronze]

Am I the first one here or have I completely missed the thread? If this is the only thread please come and join me
Bron

Good afternoon every1,
nicand2- don't know if you have read this thread about my BFing experiences, I felt guilty, like I'd just given up. I was totally supported by OH and was told the same as you that 12 days was a good start. MW suggests now that I can let Samantha suckle at night and it may help to calm her before sleep and help with the fact that I'm feeling emotional about it. Go with what you feel. I have thought about returning to BFing as still have milk- decisions, decisions.

Didn't manage that drink yesterday or a nap, ended up doing housework and finally unpacking hospital bag, only taken 3 weeks!

Feeling bit down today was watching LO thinking how quickly they change and how we all must enjoy every moment. Hormones!!!

BTW anyone know where I can find the thread that tells us everyones names and that, I'm sure there is one.

Nicand2: have you tried contacting a bf counsellor? I rang the La Leche helpline and they were really good. Or you could try asking for advice on the breast and bottle feeding thread - again, I found that helpful for my silly questions . You've done really well to get so far, though.

W back down to 2-hr feeds - lets hope this lasts through the night. Have discovered he loves Cuban music - been grooving round the sitting room with DH.

Hi everyone - just want to say hi and how nice it is to move onto the post natal thread at last!!! Megan is doing really well, we have given up on breast feeding as she was using me as a dummy and not sucking at all - making me very sore and her very hungry (well actually she didn't appear hungry as she slept all the time - probably through weakness), but now drinking loads and have begun to make 3 oz bottles now!!

On that note I'd better go and do them.

Have lost control of housework - very stressed about that, but usually am anyway ... but I now have HUGE BOOBS!!!!!!!!! I actually need a bra !!!! - but boy do they hurt!

Anyway hope you are all well and lo's doing well

xxxxx

Hi All - been a bit hectic last 2 days. No sleep 'till 5.30am yesterday! 2 hours in total - was knackered. HV came out and desite major feeding my LO is still not back to her birthweight - she is 3 weeks old!! Nearly there only 1oz to go - she must have hollow legs. Been expressing and gave her bottle last night - she slept for 5 hours so am going to try that very night. Thought she may be starting to get in routine but no.

I bought/read loads of books on pregnancy but none on breastfeeding/babies, however, just got baby whisperer and contented baby book yesterday to read to give some guidance - anyone else referring to books?

Have a goog nite all.

Three weeks is fine to regain birth weight - that's pretty much what my dd did. Fortunately I had a chilled HV . In fact, she phoned me today, having heard that I'd had ds2. We moved away in March, and leaving her has to have been almost the worst thing about the move. Lovely woman, I was so lucky to have been looked after by her.

You guys who've been struggling with bf and decided to go over to ff - don't beat yourselves up about it. It can be really tough to get going, and mostly we don't get enough support to really help us. I've found a huge difference in my supply when I literally take to my bed for several hours at a time and do nothing but sleep and feed through the day - but unless there's someone around to wait on us hand and foot, and do the housework, then it's virtually impossible to do that. Even giving your LO just the colostrum makes a big difference, every ounce extra has been worthwhile and you should congratulate yourselves for achieving that.

Had I not succeeded in bfing dd (after ending up mix-feeding ds1), then I think I would have given up trying to bf ds2 this week. Despite being an 'experienced' mum (ha bloody ha) we ended up in hospital on Monday night because he hadn't been feeding well - and we had been so sleep-deprived that we had missed the signs. But knowing that I can do it, and having dh and my sister around to support me, we seem to have managed to pull through. Also with the aid of a bottle of formula.

Does anyone else find that their boobs ache if the LO cries, whether or not it's not time for a feed, but even more so if it is?

prettycandles - I get that 'achy boob' letdown reflex thing too, but my boobs start leaking milk everywhere at the same time. Its really quite painful as well. If anyone else has leaky boobs then I've found that folding your arms across your chest and pressing tightly is enough to stop them. Handy in the middle of the supermarket when you realise you forgot to put a breast pad in...

Rumpel, I've been referring to the second book you mention as a guide and I find it useful. I'm not following it to the letter though. Found the advice about BFing helpful too.

For anyone struggling with BFing, the breast and bottle feeding forum on here is fab and full of helpful advice. Also a website called kellymom is good. FWIW nicand2 I think the advice your MW gave you to give yourself 24hrs 'off' was not necessarily the best thing to do TBH as your milk is on a supply and demand basis - don't feed and it'll dry up, feed lots and you'll make more. Would have thought that if it were painful then things like helping you with latch etc would be more useful as it shouldn't really hurt - a bit sore at first yes, but if its really painful then something isn't right. I'd really think about contacting either a specialist BFing counsellor or the NCT/ LaLeche League for help if I were you, hope you get it sorted. Although it is a pain to get established it really is worth it in the end.

Hoping for a more peaceful night tonight - Edward still v snuffly and v v hungry...have been stuffing him full of milk today

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Morning-
LO's obviously don't understand extra hour in bed. OH does though and is snoring soundly.

Anyone moved their LO to their cot before the suggested 6 weeks? Samantha is in a moses basket at the moment but seems to be outgrowing it very quickly.

HV has suggested that I join the new mother and baby group starting this week as I don't know anyone else with young babies. Antenatal classes never happened because they are not funded anymore in my area, so no chance to meet anyone. Apparently I'll learn baby massage!

morning - gosh a lot to catch up on.

Cant' remember who asked about giving a bottle of expressed milk - have done it 3 times now (ds2 is not quite 2 weeks old) with success - and has caused no problem in breast feeding at the next feed. Feb book about breast feeding suggests if you want to introduce a bottle best to do it before 3 weeks and 'nipple confusion' should not happen.

DS2 does seem to feed every 3 or 4 hours too - but glad of it as my boobs are really ready to explode by then! Night time he seems to 'cluster feed', as someone said, so tonight going to try and wake him (if asleep ) at about 8:30 pm and have that 2-3 hour fussing period until 11:30 ish rather than 11 - 1 am. That's the theory anyway!

My parents arrive tomorrow, which I am looking forward to, until Thursday, then in-laws next Sunday until Wednesday, then that should be it for people staying over. AFter that dh is taking his second week of paternity leave, so we plan on having lots of days out as a family - well afternoons, as ds1 is in nursery school in the mornings.

Have a good day - hope the extra hour is fun! but I am now completely confused as to what time ds2 fed etc!

Whiffy: off topic here - but where did you go camping in Kent during the summer?? Can't remember and thinking about spring time next year with some friends - well the blokes and boys, with mother and babies staying indoors with cake!

I have reluctantly given up on the breastfeeding. After giving myself 24 hours off i tried again yesterday and it was still very sore. I know he was latched on correctly because i spent many hours with various mw's perfecting it. One of them told me that very fair haired people offen have more sensitive nipples so maybe that's why. I really thought I would succeed this time and felt like a real mum when it was working but even with the cocktail of pain killers I'm taking it was still excrutiating. My DH has been very supportive about it, i had a bit of a cry yesterday and was really undecisive but now I've not done it for 36 hours I think the decision has been made for me.

Still on a more positive note I am slowly recovering from the c section and I'm starting to feel a bit more human now. Yesterday was an emotional day as my nan finally went into a home full time. I managed to drop round on Thursday and get some photos of her and LO which I can't look at yet because it's too emotional

Hi All,

My LO slept from 10pm until 5.30am this morning!! I actually had to wake her up. Mind you we did have a nightmare day yesterday with her crying most of the day! It is soo frustrating - you just don't know what is wrong and it pierces your heart. Actually had to put earplugs in to go for a bath yesterday whilst DH had her.

My boobs only leak when I come out the bath or shower. Seem to have plenty of milk though, as been expressing too. Some of us have quicker let down? Decided to invest electric breast pump so I can feed baby on one, express the other and have one hand free to do things! Anyone got an electric one?

rumpel - medela lactaline machine is v good - expensive but worth it. Also comes with 2 pumps so you can express both sides at same time if you want to. Tommee tippee bottles are good. I found Avent ones too hard for LO to latch onto.

pmoore - baby massage is really fun, my DD loved it - you should def try it!

nicand2 - I'm sure your LO would rather have formula milk and a happy mummy than breast milk and a mummy who was in pain and dreading feeding time. Squillions of babies do just fine on formula, don't beat yourself up. BFing doesn't make you a good mum, formula feeding doesn't make you a bad mum.

I am really really tired today, don't know why. Starving hungry too. Spent lovely afternoon yesterday painting pictures of pumpkins with DD, felt like a real 'mummy' rather than the grouchy hag that usually just dumps her in front of cbeebies while I sort the baby out...ohhhh the maternal guilt...it never gets any better...

V envious at those who are getting a stretch of sleep at night - at least W was feeding every 2 hours last night rather than every hour. He's been feeding (and awake) a lot today, so am hoping for a quiet night...

Catgirl: W seems to fuss for 2-3 hrs as well - last night it was 9-11:30, which was just about bearable. 11-1 is much worse!

Am trying to get W to take as much as poss at each feed. winding and sometimes changing him in the middle. Still feeding loads, but I think it's the continuing growth spurt.

Not bought any books, as am trying to focus on W to learn what his different cries mean etc. Getting lots of info on the web, though. Must start noting down what time he's sleeping and feeding, in the hope that some routine may emerge.

Hope everyone's coping OK and not stressing about housework and other less important stuff

Oh Gawd; I'm discovering the downside to a strict routine: it was working very well with littly, but the time change has thrown it out and he has now been in a foul mood all day, missed his afternoon nap completely and is now having his evening grizzle one hour early.. oh well, perhaps the energy spent crying will help him sleep later.. and hopefully he'll get used to the time change quickly. Not looking forward to the time change when we go back to Kazakhstan (6 hours ahead!)

Hi all,am feeling very fed up with BF,am not enjoying always being on standby to feed the baby,cant get anything done as soon as i try baby cries and i need to be feeding her again.Am thinking of doing 1 feed a day as fomula.I feel really guilty about it though,i love the closeness that BF gives but at the same time i want a bit of a break.I cant seem to express more than 2ounces at a time,even though i have an electric pump and she finishes that in seconds then i have to BF her anyway,sometimes straight after expressing and im sure theres not much left in there! I dont know what to do,how do others cope,does it get better or do you have to take your baby everywhere you go?

totally, I'm feeding little one about every 3 hours in the day and every 4 at night, but have noticed he needs longer (more like 30-40 mins per feed rather than 20) now he's reached the 3 week mark, as it's a growth spurt. I make sure he is really full, e.g. change his nappy or give him a little break halfway through so he goes back on the breast and finishes a full feed. then he doesn't cry for food in between times so I have time to do stuff (or at least have a shower and put some washing on or whatever). I've only tried expressing once, and could also only get 2 oz, but know I have to keep on with it cos will be going back to work beginning of Feb.. I'm sure there are some more experienced expressers on here who can point us in the right direction though!

Well, so much for a quiet night - W back to feeding hourly, then mammoth feeding session at about 2am followed by vomiting it all back - both of us feeling v fragile today. Any ideas on how to get him to go longer at night? If I wait too long after he starts getting restless and hungry, he's too agitated to feed properly and takes ages to get back to sleep

Swizzler- I'll join you in the feeling fragile club!

It's not so much lack of sleep managed about 5 hrs on and off, it's recovering from this c section. DH is working from home (in the garage) and I haven't seen him since he got up. Luckily baby is asleep but toddler is getting very bored now. I'm knackered, still in my pj's and feeling very fed up. I think it's just hitting me now that I can't go anywhere as I can't drive for 6 weeks and walking is still really difficult.

hello! new mum joining..it's been three weeks since the birth..anyone else put on weight, lost clumpfuls of hair and got teenage acne?? is it just down to the chocolate? will the baby spend some waking hours not crying? will breastfeeding make a difference to cottage cheese thighs?

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totally - stick with the expressing, you produce milk on supply and demand basis so you will start to make more if you're expressing. Also try expressing from one side while feeding from other so you get a natural letdown reflex, or express just before a feed when your boobs are full and then give baby the milk from a bottle. Also trying to space feeds is a good idea (although difficult) I think when you're BFing it is just too easy to think 'baby crying- stick boob in mouth' and then they get into the habit of snacking rather than taking a big feed whereas if they were having a bottle you'd know they weren't hungry and so would maybe try other things to entertain them. BFing is hard but it really does get easier - soon they will go longer between feeds and sleep through at night (honest - it WILL happen) and you won't feel like so much of a walking dairy farm, the first weeks are the worst. Think of it like natures way of making you slow right down and bond with your baby.
Expressing takes a bit of practice but when you can do it it really makes life easier.
Gemmity I am also going back to work in Feb I have to go on a course in 2 weeks so my MIL is going to be looking after LO so have started freezing milk. I am trying to express 3-4oz in the morning and store that.

hi all. have to say it does make me feel better that i am not the only one who doesn't find breastfeeding on demand that easy. milliee i am with you on wanting a nice cup on tea in peace and quiet. my poor 3 year old is hardly getting any attention as i am always feeding. just so tiring. felt so ill/shivery the other day and ended up with sore, red, swollen boob that refused to empty. assume it was a touch of mastitius. fed through it and ok now but took 3 days. ideally would have asked midwife for advice this morning, but for the second time her visit was cancelled. saw midwife on day 2 and 5 and that is it. milo will be at school by the time we are discharged!

p.s totally-yes it does get better but in this haze of feed/sick/poo/sleep/feed/sick/feed/feed/feed cannot remember exactly when it became easier!
take it you bottle fed last time?

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